Celebración de la palabra

Friday June 14, 2019

Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

STRENGTH IN WEAKNESS

Introduction

Paul experienced in the marrow of his bones the contradiction of the coexistence within himself of the strength of God working in him for the apostolate and his own human weakness. This is also the experience of the whole Church and each of us personally: it may be the experience of married people, of whom absolute fidelity is demanded even though they are weak. For we bear in us both the death and the resurrection of Christ. But God and the grace of Christ are always stronger than our weakness.

Opening Prayer

Lord our God,
the world speaks of death,
your death, the death of humans,
the death of myths and of the sacred.
Yet keep us faithful, Lord,
to our mission of announcing life and hope.
Help us, sinful as we ourselves are,
to speak of your mercy.
Though we are neither saints nor heroes,
give us the courage to bear witness
to your steadfast loyalty,
together with him who was loyal to the end,
Jesus Christ, our Lord for ever.

Reading 1: 2 Cor 4:7-15

Brothers and sisters:
We hold this treasure in earthen vessels,
that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us.
We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained;
perplexed, but not driven to despair;
persecuted, but not abandoned;
struck down, but not destroyed;
always carrying about in the Body the dying of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body.
For we who live are constantly being given up to death
for the sake of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

So death is at work in us, but life in you.
Since, then, we have the same spirit of faith,
according to what is written, AI believed, therefore I spoke,"
we too believe and therefore speak,
knowing that the one who raised the Lord Jesus
will raise us also with Jesus
and place us with you in his presence.
Everything indeed is for you,
so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people
may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 116:10-11, 15-16, 17-18

R. (17a) To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I believed, even when I said,
"I am greatly afflicted";
I said in my alarm,
"No man is dependable."
R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Precious in the eyes of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
O LORD, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;
you have loosed my bonds.
R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R. Alleluia.
To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people.
R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia: Phil 2:15d, 16a

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Shine like lights in the world,
as you hold on to the word of life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: Mt 5:27-32

Jesus said to his disciples:
"You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery.
But I say to you,
everyone who looks at a woman with lust
has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
If your right eye causes you to sin,
tear it out and throw it away.
It is better for you to lose one of your members
than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna.
And if your right hand causes you to sin,
cut it off and throw it away.
It is better for you to lose one of your members
than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.

"It was also said,
Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce.
But I say to you,
whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful)
causes her to commit adultery,
and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery."

Intercessions

– For the Church, God’s pilgrim people, that its leaders and people may face the tensions of our time with courage, we pray:
– For our country, that we may continue without fear bearing witness to the gospel by working for justice and human dignity, we pray:
– For those who doubt their faith or themselves, that trust in God may restore their inner peace, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
we pretend to be strong,
but we are but vessels of clay,
brittle and vulnerable.
Give us your Son Jesus Christ
and strengthen us with his Spirit,
that when we see no answer to our problems
we may never despair,
that when we are knocked down
we may always stand up
and be raised with Jesus Christ,
who is our Lord for ever.

Prayer after Communion

Our God and Father,
you have given us your Son
and you ask of us
to show to the world your face
and the true human face you showed us in Christ.
Forgive us, Lord,
when we distort this face
or become no more than a coarse reflection of it.
Help us in our clumsy efforts
to be to the world the image
of him who shared our weakness,
Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives now with you for ever.

Blessing

We feel often how weak we are, how we want to lead good and upright lives, and yet easily fail. But the risen Lord is our strength, in him we trust, and with him we thank God for it. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Commentary

We are weak but God is strong. The more than fragility shows forth in our human makeup, the more the power of God appears in our all-too-human flesh. In our weak humanity, we re afflicted in every way. All of this is part of the dying of Jesus, now lived out by extension in the life of the Christian. But Jesus dies in order to bring forth life, and it is in our human weakness that this new life appears. Although we are repeatedly beaten down, the life of Jesus, that of the Holy Spirit, becomes ever more evident.
The Gospel today sets forth Jesus’ teaching on adultery and divorce in a very strong statement of opposition. And once again, it goes deeper than the evil act. The seeds of adultery lie in the heart, and therefore we are enjoined to uproot every semblance of lust. And lust, to be sure, means more than impure thoughts, something to which are all prone. Lust is an internal struggle marked by attempts to actualize the evil desire. And it is this that Jesus’ teaching excludes.
We all face the struggle of the Christian life, but we are also assured than in Christ victory will come. Just as the righteousness of God triumphed in Christ, so, too, will in us if we remain faithful.

Points to Ponder

The death of Christ in each of us
The life of Christ in each of us
Our weak human nature.